BACTERIAL WILT OF CUCUMBER: AN EMERGING THREAT TO CUCUMBER PRODUCTION IN PAKISTAN
MUHAMMAD ATIQ *
Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
HAFSA ZULFIQAR
Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
NASIR AHMED RAJPUT
Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
SHAHBAZ TALIB SAHI
Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
WASEEM ABBAS
Institute of Vegetable Research, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, (AARI), Faisalabad, Pakistan
SALMAN AHMAD
Department of Plant Pathology, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan
ADEEL SULTAN
Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
MUHAMMAD USMAN
Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
ABDUL JABBAR
Department of Agronomy, Community College, PARS Campus, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
AQSA GHAFFAR
Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
TAHREEM AIMEN
Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
. WASI-UD-DIN
Department of Agronomy, Community College, PARS Campus, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Cucumber is an economically important crop and cultivated in almost all temperature zones. It is also used as model system for sex and vascular biology study. Cultivation of cucumber is increasing day by day due to its high nutrition value. Several diseases pose great threat to cultivation of cucumber and one of the highly devastating disease of cucumber is bacterial wilt of cucumber. Erwinia tracheiphila is the causal agent of this disease and it is limited to xylem and absorbs all the nutrients from it and in result cause wilting of entire plant. This pathogen is transmitted by striped and spotted cucumber beetles. These beetles feed on seedlings and stems and carry the pathogen from infected to healthy plant. Bacterial wilt of cucumber was diagnosed in field by observing hyaline, sticky strands of slime. There are different management techniques available to control the spread of disease. Biological control and development of resistant varieties are gaining importance as compared to insecticides, due to their ecofriendly behavior towards human and animal life.
Keywords: Cucumber, Erwinia tracheiphila, striped cucumber beetle, integrated management